Traction-engine.



Patented June 16,1914.

" lnliilii GEORGE W. PERRY, 0F PEORIA, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR T0 HOLT CATERPILLAR 0 0., 01?

PEORIA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

Application filed July 29, 1912, Serial No. 712,018.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 16, 1914:.

Renewed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 821,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. PERRY, citizen of the United States,residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in 'lraction-Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to traction engines having a self-laying track,commonly knownas caterpillar engines.

The present invention relates particularly to the traction belttherefor.

The invention consists of the parts and the combination and constructionof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sideelevation showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation showing particularly the link section. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveofa link with its removable bushing. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan viewof two inter-engaging links. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the tooth ofa sprocket wheel showing an inserted, hardened face portion.

A indicates a portion of an engine frame which carries the rear drivingsprocket -B, and the front idle companion wheel C.

. D represents the traction belt having the link sections D supportingthe. truck E, having wheels F. The principal weight of the engine iscarried by the truck E running on its endless track.

Power is applied by means not necessary here to be shown, to the rearsprocket wheel or wheels B, which continually picks up the track andcarries it forward in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1, over thesupporting front wheel C to be continually laid on the ground for thetruck E to inove over. The principal feature of the present inventionresides in the peculiar construction of the link sections D Each link iscomposed of two side or web portions having the openings G for thepurpose of allowing for the expulsion of accumulations of dirt and otherdetritus, which would otherwise opcrate seriously against the successfuluse of the machine. The web portions are connected across one end so asto form a solid one-piece link by means of the seml-cylmdrical barrel H,Fig. 3. This barrel is provided with a strengthening -web H, Fig. 4. Theopen portion of the barrel faces that end of the link adjacent to thebearing contact of the teeth of sprocket wheel B, and this open portionindicated at J, ,isof sufficiently greater diameter than the bore J ofthe barrel to receive areniovable se1nicylindrical manganese steelbushing N. The concavity of the bushing N is on the same radius as anddesigned to be in continuation 'of the concavity J of the barrel, and toform a continuous bore for the receipt of the link pin L; the link pin Lbeing supported in the perforations K of the widened end of the adjacentlink. The barrel H is arranged at the narrow end of the link; thisnarrow portion being so shaped as to fit the correspondingly. widenedend--- of a succeeding link; the hole for the pin L being offset uponthe side against which pressure and wear are brought and the segmentalwearing plate fitted to the offset removable lengthwise therefrom, andtaking both the wear of the pin L and the Wear on the sprocket teeth ofwheel B.

P represent traction shoes consisting of steel plates with overlappingends secured to the links D by suitable means as the bolts or rivets Q;these plates P being preferably corrugated to accommodate the angularprojections R of the links. The opposed edges of the links have track orrail-head portions M forming a continuous track for rollers F of thetrucks E to run upon.

0 is a removable wearing surface dovetailed, or otherwise suitablysecured to one or both sides of the teeth of sprocket B and cooperatingwith the hardened bushing N to increase the life of the machine.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. In a traction engine the combination in an endlesstread belt therefor of a series of links consisting of side-web portionsintegrally connected by a semi-cylindrical barrel at their narrowedends, said webs having integrally formed rail-heads along one of theirlongitudinal edges, a shoe plate secured to the opposite edge of thesame, said webs being open on their sides, and a semicylindrical bushingin complementary position to the semi-cylindrical barrel.

2. A link for an endless tread belt for traction engines, consisting ofa pair of webportions integrally connected at one end by asemi-cylindrical barrel, a semi-cylindrical hardened bushing positionedin complementary relation to the barrel and completing therewith a borefor the pivot pin, said bushing forming a wearing surface on its insidefor the pivot pin and having an outside wearing surface to receive theWear of the teeth of the sprocket around which the belt may pass, saidweb-portions having integrally formed rail-heads, substantially asdescribed. i v

3. In a traction engine, the combination of frontand rear sprockets, atread belt passing around the sprockets, said tread belt comprising aseries of conjoined links, each of which is provided with a track shoe,each link consisting of a pair of web members integrally connected atone end by a semicylindrical barrel, the open portion of said barrelopening toward the immediately adjacent contiguous link, a segmentalhardened bushing in said open space and removable lengthwise therefromand cooperating with the semi-cylindrical barrel to provide a bore for apivot pin, a pivot pin passing through said bore and secured in thewidened end of the companion link, said links having overlappinrail-heads forming a continuous track'fort e engine truck to run on, anda truck connected with the engine frame and running on-said rail-heads.

4. In a traction engine, the combination of front and rear sprockets ofa tread belt passing around the sprockets, said tread 1,1oo, 14a

belt comprising a series of conjoined links,

each of which 1s provided with a track shoe,

to run on, and a truck connected with the engine frame and running onsaid railheads, the webs of said link sections having openings for theexpulsion of any detritus tending to collect between the railheads, thesprocket teeth cooperating as ejectors to exclude said detritus, and thesprocket teeth having removable, hardened wearing shims in contact withsaid hardened bushings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORGE w. PERRY.

Witnesses:

G. F. DICKENSON, M. M. BAKER.

